Get Healthy & Fit Series

Welcome to our new, “Get Healthy & Fit” blogging event! There will be 19 bloggers who are going to focus together with you for 12 straight weeks on eating healthy, exercising more and losing weight! We’re going to share with you our challenges, our victories, how we are planning to exercise, our eating plans, the inches & pounds that will be falling off, the health benefits we’re noticing and more. If you have been struggling with getting on the weight loss and healthy living band wagon, this is the place for you! You will be inspired and encouraged! I hope that you’ll join in and share a little of your own successes with us. Please leave your success stories and/or a link to your blog post in the comments section below.

We started on Monday, September 10th, 2012. Our last post, where we share our results and health benefits, will be Monday, December 3rd, 2012. If you’d like to follow us on Twitter, you can use hashtag #healthymomseries. We will share healthy recipes, our weekly progress and healthy tips. We also have a Pinterest page where we pin healthy ideas, foods, exercise, etc. Follow us on Pinterest!

12 Weeks of Getting Healthy & Fit

19 women, 19 very unique styles of attaining health and fitness! Each participant is unique in her approach to this challenge. A quick picture, plan and bio are posted below for each of the participants.

Sarah is the 36 year old homeschooling mother to 6 children, ages 15 all the way down to 1. She is joining this challenge in order to lose weight and of course, to gain health. She’s tired of her feet hurting and her energy levels decreasing. She hopes to lose 15-20 pounds during this 12 week challenge but plans to continue her loss from there. Her eating goal will be to eat as many fruits and vegetables as she can as well as working on her portion control. She knows she must limit, if not eliminate her Dr. Pepper intake and increase her water consumption. She also plans to limit her sugar and carb consumption. Her exercise plan is to use a T-tapp exercise DVD 5 days a week, go to the gym, walk, and bicycle ride as time permits.

Laurie considers herself incredibly blessed to be Toby’s wife for 21+ years and the homeschooling Mama of four incredible children aged 9-19. One area that Laurie has neglected is her own health and fitness. This year, before she turns 43, she wants to make a big change. After watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead at least 15 times, Laurie made the decision to start a 30 day juice fast. With the complete and total support of Toby, she purchased a fancy new juicer and was on her way. During this 12 week series, you can follow Laurie as she completes this current 30 day juice fast and begin a second 30 day juice fast. She will also be going to the gym three times per week where she will conquer the workout machines and do her most favorite exercise, swim! Come along on this journey to health and fitness at Our Abundant Blessings!

Stephanie is a mom of 5 amazing kids and has been married to the love of her life for almost 11 years. With each pregnancy, weight was gained. Even though not much weight was gained, she didn’t lose all of it post pregnancy. After 5 kids those pounds have added up. Stephanie is ready to Get Healthy. During the next 12 weeks she plans to cut out sweets, drink water, (no sweet tea), no carbs after 4 pm. She plans on working out 5 days a week. She would love to lose between 10-15 pounds this go around. She is ready to lose the pounds and have the energy she needs to run after 5 kids.

Mothers take care of everyone’s needs and often times they end up neglecting their basic health. During my latest battle with my health I realized how much attention I paid to the health and needs of others. I also realized how little I paid to my own health. I am a wife of 18 years. I am a mother to three growing boys. I am choosing to reclaim my health. I am choosing to make taking care of me a priority.

The goal is to lose a pound or more per week until I have lost a grand total of 20 pounds. I will be watching the scales on Sunday night and reporting the results on Monday. Pictures included!

The plan is a simple whole foods diet of all the wonderful things God has made. Doing the Wii Fit and walk away the pounds 5 times per week.

Jen is a 32 year old homeschooling mother of a 4-1/2 and an almost 2 year old. She and the love of her life (i.e. her husband), own a small computer business together and she also does their marketing from home on a VERY part time basis. Now that school is well underway (for her family anyway) and work demands have leveled off a bit, she is ready to get back to the work of getting fit and healthy again.

She generally eats pretty “clean” but has a few bad habits that need to be nipped in the bud. She will be increasing fruit and vegetable intake at meals and snacks, adding more water, severely limiting juice & pop, as well as limiting eating out to twice a week or less. For exercise, this former personal trainer and Tae Kwon Do black belt will be resuming her earlier plan of running (or other cardio) 3 times per week, strength training 2 times a week and adding in Ab workouts as often as it can be squeezed in. While she’s aiming mostly for getting back into a good place with diet and exercise, she would love to lose 10 pounds or get down to a size 8, both SHOULD be easily doable. You know, in a perfect world :).

We are all about getting out into nature to explore God’s creation. I’ve allowed pain from RA to keep me from moving my body like I’m supposed to. Although I’ve continued with our adventures – I’ve allowed myself to sit by on the sidelines. The past 2 years, I’ve gained weight and slowed down. It’s a vicious cycle and I’ve decided enough is enough. I’m going to keep my focus on getting healthier for God and family during this series instead of worrying about the scale. By eating better, cutting out sugar, eating higher protein, lower carbs and drinking the water I know my body needs – I will begin to feel better and the weight will follow the health. It’s a struggle for those who fight pain every day to keep moving. I have recently lost these battles, but I’m determined not to loose the war.

Cheryl is an almost 40-year old mother of four beautiful children. She has been married to a dedicated husband and father for 16 years. She feels the need to step up her focus on healthy habits, especially healthier eating and exercise. She started the year by changing her diet and incorporating regular exercise into her routine. By the middle of the year, she met her weight goal.

Her goals are to reduce/manage stress, strengthen/tone arms and the tummy to thigh region, and maintain a healthy weight while increasing muscle.

Her plan is to get enough sleep every night, increase her daily walking amount, drink more water, eat more vegetables and add the “No Excuses” workout 3x/week.

Recently, Stephani and her husband challenged each other to complete the popular but challenging 60-day INSANITY program. At the beginning of the Get Healthy & Fit series, they had completed about half of the workout, and Stephani has since challenged herself to lose the flab and at least get the abs she’s always wanted. She’s had two children and gained about 45 pounds with the last one. It’s taken her about a year to work off most of the weight, but she’s ready prove that babies don’t have to stop you from feeling fantastic.

Stephani’s goals:

– Finish the INSANITY workout program (estimate: end of October)

– Continue to build muscle tone afterwards with at least yoga, but possibly other muscle building workouts

– Follow Insanity nutrition guide, but use real food principles

– Do it inexpensively so she doesn’t increase their grocery budget needlessly

To me, health is a complete package of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well being. It is not just reflected by a single number or measurement. It is an all or nothing approach. Our balance is then reflected in how feel, act and yes that little number on the scale we don’t talk about! haha

My 12 weeks goals are to find the little things that I can do to better my health, quality of life and overall balance! In my college studies I remember one professor saying that it takes 30 days to make or break a habit. We are giving ourselves 84 days to lose some bad habits and gain some good! Each week I will tackle one bad habit and attempt to replace it with a contrasting good habit! Join me in my journey to “Get Healthy” in 12 weeks!

Like most women, Anne discovered that pregnancy left an indelible mark on her body. In all the wrong places! For the better part of a year, she has been attempting to lose those stubborn baby pounds and fit back into the pre-baby clothes. The goal is to make a lasting lifestyle change, though, not just a crash diet that might work temporarily but fail in the long run. She’s hoping that these 12 weeks will help her develop the habits she needs to successfully lose weight and keep it off!

Plan:
-15 minutes of exercise 6 days a week, mostly Pilates, although perhaps will attempt some High Intensity Interval Training. Maybe.
-Low-Carb, High-Protein diet: no carb snacks at all, only proteins and vegetables. Carbs at meals must be whole grain and as little refined as possible. Fruits at meals only.
-Drinking lots of water
-Getting plenty of sleep

Julie is the 28 year old homeschooling mother to 3 children, aged 4, 2 & 1/.2, 1 & 1/2. She is joining this challenge in order to lose weight and of course, to gain health. She hopes to lose 15-20 pounds during this 12 week challenge but will be fine if she can fit more comfortably in her current clothing. Her eating goal will be to eat fewer unhealthy snacks during the longs days at home and be more aware of portion sizes. She knows she must limit her intake of her beloved sanity drink, Dr. Pepper and increase her water consumption. Her exercise plan is to slowly add more ‘exercise focused’ movement during the day but doesn’t currently have a specific routine.

Jeri Lynn has found a way to enjoy her journey to the land of “More Fit.” She is a wife of 16 years and a mom to two teenage boys. At 39 years old, she realizes the value of improving health and fitness, and that is her goal. She plans to limit calories while choosing more real whole foods in order to lose 12-15lbs. She will perform increasing sessions of cardio and weight training to burn fat and gain strength. Follow her progress at Alabaster Box, where her “You Can Do It” attitude will rub right off on you.

For those (like her) who have tried and failed in the past, Jeri Lynn will be adding some lagniappe. This surprising new component is what she calls “Faith For Fitness”…because with a little faith, ALL things are possible…even improved fitness!

You want an excuse? I’ve got 1000: steroids, babies, stress, adultery, low self-worth, being over 35, loneliness, thyroid issues, gluten intolerance and divorce…just to name a few. I’ve south-beached it. I’ve been tight with Robert Atkins. Jillian and I have gone round and round. I’ve even tried clinical weight loss with a doctor. I can not count the number of times someone has said to me- “if you really wanted to loose weight you would.” But I absolutely want to. Trouble is, there is a disconnect between the “want to” and the making it happen. That disconnect is in the lies that I put into my head. Join me for a 12 week journey through the LIES THAT KEEP ME EATING. No doubt we will be counting calories, slashing sugar, and sweatin to the oldies, but most importantly we will learn to battle the lies that keep the weight from coming off for good.

Having a blog that focuses on heath and whole foods eating, makes it a tiny bit embarrassing for this “granola mom” to go out in public. Throughout childhood Jodi found herself struggling with eating the chocolate chip cookies she baked her dad in secret after everyone was asleep, and her clothes proved it. After losing 25 pounds in middle school she kept it off until her fabulous 30’s. However, after getting married she discovered she had both PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome) and Hashimoto’s Disease. No wonder she was fat, right? Five pregnancies and four children later, she woke up one morning and discovered she was 50 pounds overweight. But how can that be? These whole foods people are supposed to lose weight easily. Discover why and journey with Jodi as she walks through the HCG Diet. You can visit her at her personal blog, Granola Mom 4 God, and her essential oils blog, Naturally His. If that’s not enough, follow her twitter blasts and keep up with her community on Facebook to interact with the organic fat burning girl.

Stacie is a mom of three girls (ages 4-8) and has been married to her college sweetheart for the past 12 years. She blogs on frugality, bargains, fitness, faith, food, and educational activities for kids on her blog Motherhood on a Dime. Stacie’s journey to lose weight and get healthy started many years ago. After the birth of her second daughter, she lost 55 pounds. She has since lost and gained the same five pounds several times over the past few years, and her goal is to stop the yo-yo! Over the next twelve weeks, she wants to finally get rid of those five pounds + the last five pounds she can’t seem to drop.

After struggling with various hormonal imbalances over the last nine years, Stacie has found a new way of eating in the book Practical Paleo. She’ll be eating gluten-free and dairy-free over the next twelve week. She will also be finishing up the last few weeks of P90X2 with her husband before embarking on a jogging and 30 Day Shred exercise combo. You can join her each week for this twelve-week challenge as she posts her Fitness Challenges and sets new goals and shares her progress.

At 33, Kathy, wife and mother to two precious little girls, is joining this challenge in order to gain some accountability in her weight loss journey. She hopes to lose 10-15 pounds during the next 12 weeks and finally loose that after-baby weight. Currently she is working to complete the Couch25K program and hopes to compete in her first 5k post-baby #2 at the end of September. In addition, she will be gradually incorporating the 7 Weeks to Getting Ripped Free Online Guide which is an at home weight-free training program. To keep her sugar nemesis at bay she will be using MyFitnessPal to log her calorie intake and guard her portion control.

Yo-yo is my middle name. Since I was at least 10 years old, my weight has gone up and down and up and down and up and …. you get the idea. Overall, the scale has trended upward—to a point where it’s getting more difficult to move it downward.

I hit 45 years old and my metabolism changed a little…then came 48, it slowed a bit more. Now at 52, it’s at a standstill.

I’ve tried it all Acai pills, the prune and hard-boiled egg diet (during the late 70s, where I passed out regularly as a result of the terrible nutrition involved with this fad diet), low-carb diet, Japanese banana diet, and many, many more. My best success came from carefully monitoring my caloric intake and exercising every day. 20 years ago, I weighed 70 pounds less—wow!—that just hit me. 4 years ago I lost 50 pounds, but have slowly gained 20 of it back. I can hardly keep track of the math anymore.

So, it’s time to get control and make permanent changes! My goal over the next 12 weeks is to reform the healthy habits and keep them going strong for years to come. I have started swimming 5 to 6 days a week. I used to be a competitive swimmer, so it has all come back and feels so good. My problem is that I also have emotional battles when it comes to eating. The 500 calories I burn swimming solid for 60 minutes, gets eaten back. As I tell myself—I am my own worst enemy when it comes to my healthy habits.

My changes will not only come in what I eat and how much I exercise, but in my emotional health and how I view food and myself. God gifted me this life and this body, I need to honor it and Him.

We have two children—one in college and one we still homeschool. I work full time from home and have a flexible schedule. Therefore, I have no excuses not to give my health the positive attention it needs!

Dianna considers herself to be a closet athlete, having taking up running in her late thirties. Last fall, she was training for her second half marathon when she was sidelined by pregnancy aches and pains. Now that beautiful baby #5 is here and healthy, she plans to get back on the road again. This time last year, she was running 10 miles on weekends. Now days, she can barely make it a half mile.

She plans to complete the Couch to 5K training program during this challenge and run in the Polar Bear Grand Prix – these were the first races she ran as a newbie runner. Those races will keep her motivated during the winter months of training in preparation for the Derby Festival MiniMarathon. She’ll celebrate turning the big 4-0 by running 13.1 miles! Finding her feet again as a runner keeps her strong, healthy, and mentally sharp — all necessary to manage a large family.

She’s the not so proud owner of the dreaded ‘mom arms’. To fight the flab, she’ll be following a weight training program designed by her husband, a lifelong athlete and former college soccer player.

As a breastfeeding mother, her diet will be a challenge. She plans to focus on eliminating processed foods and extra sugar from her diet, and focusing on getting plenty of water, proteins, good healthy fats, along with fruits and vegetables. Find inspiration on her Pinterest fitness board, stop by The Kennedy Adventures, or connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.